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ryaya's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Un retelling de la Sirenita espectacular. Me ha encantado. Evie they would never make me hate you.
colleens_conclusions's review
5.0
Sea Witch by Sarah Henning was the most unexpected five star rating. This book had such an interesting beginning and it immediately made me think of To Kill a Kingdom so that’s why I started reading it.
It started to get slow at about halfway for me though, and I thought about marking it as a DNF at 65 percent, but I did not want to end my year of reading on a sour note. At this point the book was a three star read, but then it bumped up to a four star read because it was like The Wicked Deep meets To Kill a Kingdom. And I loved both books and the ending… I did not expect the ending to be like how it was. I should have because of the cover, but I went into it not knowing much so I think that was how I was able to have more of an open mind with it.
I definitely recommend it if you liked The Wicked Deep and To Kill a Kingdom or any other mermaid type of book.
It started to get slow at about halfway for me though, and I thought about marking it as a DNF at 65 percent, but I did not want to end my year of reading on a sour note. At this point the book was a three star read, but then it bumped up to a four star read because it was like The Wicked Deep meets To Kill a Kingdom. And I loved both books and the ending… I did not expect the ending to be like how it was. I should have because of the cover, but I went into it not knowing much so I think that was how I was able to have more of an open mind with it.
I definitely recommend it if you liked The Wicked Deep and To Kill a Kingdom or any other mermaid type of book.
tiffanynoel's review
4.0
This book was not what I expected, but I really enjoyed it! Parts of it were predictable, while others were very surprising! It was a fun twist on a story that we all know, kinda
secondhandpages's review against another edition
4.0
“Mermaids are not the monsters you humans think we are.”
I am always here for retellings of "The Little Mermaid" but this one isn't really a LITTLE MERMAID retelling, it's more a sea witch origin story, really. Yes, there were direct quotes from the little mermaid, direct links etc but over all, this book was about the sea witch (formerly known as Ursula). It surprised me that people were saying it was a Little Mermaid retelling because it's marketed as a Villain Origin Story, not the other way around. Her second novel in this duo "Sea Witch Rising"is a Little Mermaid retelling.
While it is not a complete TLM retelling, it does have many connection to it, enhancing and familiarizing us with the story. Henning's writing was lyrical and beautiful, while being filled with easter eggs for those of us that love both the Disney and original versions of TLM. The connections and mixed versions made a unique blend of a magical, lush product. It was fun recognizing the lines from it (IE: the mermaid turning back into seafoam, that just tickled to the bone!)
....The Plot....
The story was a slow burn; a build up to the crescendo that will shatter your hearts and decimate your soul. Like I mentioned previously, this is my second attempt at the book - primarily becuase of that slow build. However, once things start falling into place (for obvious ones, it starts about 3/4 into the book) about half way through, I was able to quickly get sucked into the world once again. The plot is more event driven than character driven, although some of the characters, like Evie, make a very satisfying arc through the novel. Others, not so much (I'm looking at you Ikar!). If I'm honest, trying to pass a mermaid off as a noble, while lying to everyone already made for an interesting book, but the majority of the action was in the beginning and end of the book. The audiobook was short though, and the narrators kept me engaged and hooked through the entire thing.
“Magic was barter—the right words, actions, potions for the right result.”
....The Cast...
The characters are the typical mismatched friends, the rich prince and the poor girl - but I'm here for it. The star of the show is Evie. She is the royal fisherman's daughter, and best friend to Crown Prince Nik.
The love interest through book is Ikar. He is the crown prince of a neighboring kingdom, and cousin to Nik. Ikar has a wonderful disposition. He really brought out a side of Evie that she struggled to hide. It was clear that she was smitten with him from the get go. BUUUUUT, I couldn't really figure him out. Like WHY did he flip so fast?! I thought he was in love with Evie. It never really made much sense. There were signed of this throughout the novel, but they did not all connect until the very end. Evie really defends him, even to the very end, which frustrated the shit out of me. He was a great character, he added depth to the story, but he was not a good guy by any means. Several times it is mentioned that he's a player, a flirt and more. Evie's desire for him to love her seemed misplaced.
I really like the twists that came with Anna/Annametta. And I mean, let's be real; we know who this is right away. Otherwise, she was just the catalyst to push the story forward, and it worked extremely well. I didn't get attached to her in the way I maybe SHOULD have, but that was because I already knew who the sea witch was, I just didn't know HOW she would come to be her.
BUT, let me tell you someone I DID get attached to in a way too unhealthily fashion - Tante Hansa. Her Aunt was fantastic. She added depth, and truth; sacrifice to the story. Hansa was a beautifully under recognized character that deserves all the love in the world! <3
....Other Thoughts....
Why'd I rate it a 4 star read if I loved it so damn much? Quite honestly, because the build up took so long. While I thoroughly enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book, it really wasn't the main event. By the 3/4 mark, things were really started to pick up, another POV is thrown in the mix and knives start flying into backs. Until that point, it is a largely back story, build up and romance. It's not that it's a bad book by any means, but I felt like if we knew some of the twists a little sooner, it would have made for a better paced novel. It really did feel like all the action was at the very beginning, and the very end. I can understand why many people did not make it through, but my friends - let me tell you - IT. IS. WORTH. IT.
“I return to my lair, the new silence ringing in my ears. Somehow, it's more painful than before."
I am always here for retellings of "The Little Mermaid" but this one isn't really a LITTLE MERMAID retelling, it's more a sea witch origin story, really. Yes, there were direct quotes from the little mermaid, direct links etc but over all, this book was about the sea witch (formerly known as Ursula). It surprised me that people were saying it was a Little Mermaid retelling because it's marketed as a Villain Origin Story, not the other way around. Her second novel in this duo "Sea Witch Rising"is a Little Mermaid retelling.
While it is not a complete TLM retelling, it does have many connection to it, enhancing and familiarizing us with the story. Henning's writing was lyrical and beautiful, while being filled with easter eggs for those of us that love both the Disney and original versions of TLM. The connections and mixed versions made a unique blend of a magical, lush product. It was fun recognizing the lines from it (IE: the mermaid turning back into seafoam, that just tickled to the bone!)
....The Plot....
The story was a slow burn; a build up to the crescendo that will shatter your hearts and decimate your soul. Like I mentioned previously, this is my second attempt at the book - primarily becuase of that slow build. However, once things start falling into place (for obvious ones, it starts about 3/4 into the book) about half way through, I was able to quickly get sucked into the world once again. The plot is more event driven than character driven, although some of the characters, like Evie, make a very satisfying arc through the novel. Others, not so much (I'm looking at you Ikar!). If I'm honest, trying to pass a mermaid off as a noble, while lying to everyone already made for an interesting book, but the majority of the action was in the beginning and end of the book. The audiobook was short though, and the narrators kept me engaged and hooked through the entire thing.
“Magic was barter—the right words, actions, potions for the right result.”
....The Cast...
The characters are the typical mismatched friends, the rich prince and the poor girl - but I'm here for it. The star of the show is Evie. She is the royal fisherman's daughter, and best friend to Crown Prince Nik.
The love interest through book is Ikar. He is the crown prince of a neighboring kingdom, and cousin to Nik. Ikar has a wonderful disposition. He really brought out a side of Evie that she struggled to hide. It was clear that she was smitten with him from the get go. BUUUUUT, I couldn't really figure him out. Like WHY did he flip so fast?! I thought he was in love with Evie. It never really made much sense. There were signed of this throughout the novel, but they did not all connect until the very end. Evie really defends him, even to the very end, which frustrated the shit out of me. He was a great character, he added depth to the story, but he was not a good guy by any means. Several times it is mentioned that he's a player, a flirt and more. Evie's desire for him to love her seemed misplaced.
I really like the twists that came with Anna/Annametta. And I mean, let's be real; we know who this is right away. Otherwise, she was just the catalyst to push the story forward, and it worked extremely well. I didn't get attached to her in the way I maybe SHOULD have, but that was because I already knew who the sea witch was, I just didn't know HOW she would come to be her.
BUT, let me tell you someone I DID get attached to in a way too unhealthily fashion - Tante Hansa. Her Aunt was fantastic. She added depth, and truth; sacrifice to the story. Hansa was a beautifully under recognized character that deserves all the love in the world! <3
....Other Thoughts....
Why'd I rate it a 4 star read if I loved it so damn much? Quite honestly, because the build up took so long. While I thoroughly enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book, it really wasn't the main event. By the 3/4 mark, things were really started to pick up, another POV is thrown in the mix and knives start flying into backs. Until that point, it is a largely back story, build up and romance. It's not that it's a bad book by any means, but I felt like if we knew some of the twists a little sooner, it would have made for a better paced novel. It really did feel like all the action was at the very beginning, and the very end. I can understand why many people did not make it through, but my friends - let me tell you - IT. IS. WORTH. IT.
“I return to my lair, the new silence ringing in my ears. Somehow, it's more painful than before."
magfiquista13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
ihateprozac's review
4.0
Sea Witch is an origin story for Ursula from the Little Mermaid. Set in Scandinavia, the story centres on Evie, the daughter of the royal fisherman and best friend of the Crown Prince. Evie is a witch, a secret she’s managed to keep until a new girl shows up. A girl who bears an eerie resemblance to Anna, their friend who drowned 4 years ago….
I have been anticipating the everloving fuck out of this story all year, and it delivered! It’s impossible not to inhale-read this book; the writing is that good, is that quick to read, and the story is that enticing.
There’s a strong current of mystery that draws you in. You’re never sure what to believe about the new girl, and though you know that this is an Ursula origin story, it’s not immediately clear who will eventually become the infamous sea witch. It’s equal parts sea fantasy and mystery, and I. was. here. for. it!
I truly adored this Scandinavian setting. The writing was atmospheric and I fell headfirst into life and Lithasblot in this seaside town. (Sidenote: make sure you have snacks on hand, because the characters are always eating and it made me hungry AF!)
I really enjoyed the romance between and the frustration of not being able to rise above your station. Their flirtation made me warm and fuzzy and lowkey made me want a ridiculous viking fisherman prince of my own! And sweet jesus absolutely ripped at my heartstrings. I knew going in that we wouldn’t have a happy ending for
The final conflict and consequences were nothing short of cinematic and I was completely enamoured. Henning’s atmospheric writing meant I could visualise every drop of rain and every drop of octopus ink as. Her writing pulls you inside the sea witch’s mind, feeling and empathising with her power and emotion, both during her transformation and her encounter with .
God damn I love a good villain.
My only criticism is that the prologue with Evie’s mother didn’t serve a purpose. It’s unclear whether Henning was trying to justify At any rate it was unnecessary and didn’t deliver on any of the three.
Overall: 4.5 stars. I’m gonna need a bunch more villain origin stories from Sarah Henning, because this one was entertaining AF. It’s atmospheric, cinematic, mysterious, and deliciously dark. Her writing style is a total delight and it’s impossible not to inhale-read her work!
I have been anticipating the everloving fuck out of this story all year, and it delivered! It’s impossible not to inhale-read this book; the writing is that good, is that quick to read, and the story is that enticing.
There’s a strong current of mystery that draws you in. You’re never sure what to believe about the new girl, and though you know that this is an Ursula origin story, it’s not immediately clear who will eventually become the infamous sea witch. It’s equal parts sea fantasy and mystery, and I. was. here. for. it!
I truly adored this Scandinavian setting. The writing was atmospheric and I fell headfirst into life and Lithasblot in this seaside town. (Sidenote: make sure you have snacks on hand, because the characters are always eating and it made me hungry AF!)
I really enjoyed the romance between
Spoiler
Evie and IkerSpoiler
Nik’s dying declaration of love for EvieSpoiler
Evie, but I wanted so badly for her and Nik to be together!The final conflict and consequences were nothing short of cinematic and I was completely enamoured. Henning’s atmospheric writing meant I could visualise every drop of rain and every drop of octopus ink as
Spoiler
Evie transformed into UrsulaSpoiler
the little mermaid fifty years laterGod damn I love a good villain.
My only criticism is that the prologue with Evie’s mother didn’t serve a purpose. It’s unclear whether Henning was trying to justify
Spoiler
a single/absent parent, to show the accident prone friendship between the three kids, or to show that their family has magic.Overall: 4.5 stars. I’m gonna need a bunch more villain origin stories from Sarah Henning, because this one was entertaining AF. It’s atmospheric, cinematic, mysterious, and deliciously dark. Her writing style is a total delight and it’s impossible not to inhale-read her work!
thedragonwolf's review
5.0
Spoiler Free Section:
As far as being a Little Mermaid retelling, I truly enjoyed this. Retellings are hard in the fact that you know most of the story and it's the details that make or break a retelling. This story succeeded, Henning's take on the Little Mermaid was fresh and full of twists that I didn't see coming. I felt all the feelings she wanted me to feel.
I would also like to make an honorable mention to the audiobook, which was so atmospheric I felt like I was sitting around a campfire. There are a few Norse words used in the story, and listening to the narrator really brought the story to life.
I haven't read too many Little Mermaid retellings. The one I can think of off the top of my head is To Kill a Kingdom, which to me felt flat and lackluster. Nonetheless I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the Little Mermaid, if other retellings have not been giving you what you wanted, this might.
Spoiler Section:
I honestly didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did. I went into it expecting the story to entertain me, and honestly I was thinking it would be more of an average read. Boy oh boy, was I wrong. I’ve had a bit of a lackluster experience with Little Mermaid retellings (I’m looking a t you, To Kill a Kingdom) but Marissa Meyer’s Heartless woke in me the interest for these villain origin stories.
Sea Witch was a remix of the story that I wasn’t expecting. Just like in Heartless, the story takes on this run against the clock as you know where the character will end up. Evie was the type of character that I wanted to succeed. The relationships in the story were amazing. Evie and Nik’s relationship felt genuine and wholehearted. The romance with Iker was believable and I wanted it to succeed despite the class difference. And Evie’s relationship with Annemette was complicated and guilt-ridden and I was eating all of it.
Evie’s guilt over having caused her best friend’s death is a major driving factor of the story, especially when a mermaid who looks like Anna appears and Evie decides to help her win Nik’s heart. The mystery of where this mermaid came from and how everyone will step into their final role kept me hooked while listening to the story. I was ready to just consume the story passively, but I found myself rewinding the audiobook multiple times, not believing what I was hearing.
Going into spoiler territory, the first 80% of the story I thought I knew where the plot was going. I wanted Evie and Iker to end up together, but I thought that for the sake of tragedy in the plot Nik wouldn’t fall in love with Annemette, maybe Iker would die, and either the power of friendship would save Evie and Annemette or Evie would lose everyone and end up becoming the Sea Witch. Boy, oh, boy, oh boy, was I wrong. So, so, so wrong. I didn’t think much of the flashbacks into Evie and Anna’s childhood, but once the flashbacks catch up with Anna’s drowning I stopped playing Animal Crossing and sat there listening. I kind of liked the ambiguity of not knowing if Annemette was Anna or not. If they only looked alike. Confirming that they are one and the same only made me wish for that “power of girl friendship” to succeed. I thought maybe the romance would take second place and the friendship between these two girls would prove to be the kind of love they needed to save each other, a la Aquamarine, you know?
Now when I tell you I gasped once I realized Annemette was evil, I gasped. I felt betrayed, I knew Evie would feel betrayed, and I felt more betrayed. Going back into the present when Anna is pretending to be good and naïve, I wanted to yell and the only reason I didn’t was because it was 2am and I was going to get yelled at by my mom. Seeing how the story was unfolded got me awestricken. I liked the whole Nik and Evie thing, though I thought I was finally witnessing a boy-girl friendship that wasn’t romantic, I felt kind of disappointed that the relationship did end up in romance, but it was believable and it seemed plausible, so that’s that. Iker’s change was a bit more hard to believe, he seemed like more of the reckless type so his sudden loyalty to the kingdom’s tradition seemed weird, but I guess that had more to do with the change in love interest for Evie.
The ending and the epilogue really got to me. Seeing Evie living the consequences of the story made me feel for her, I was sad to hear her tell of everyone’s lives while she was stuck in her new existence. Personally, I think this works great as a standalone. Because of this, I do not know how to feel about the fact that there is a sequel. I do not know much about the sequel, no idea what it might be about, but I really hope it does not undo the feeling of completion that this book has. I will probably read it, or at least look at the blurb to this if it’s worth reading.
As far as being a Little Mermaid retelling, I truly enjoyed this. Retellings are hard in the fact that you know most of the story and it's the details that make or break a retelling. This story succeeded, Henning's take on the Little Mermaid was fresh and full of twists that I didn't see coming. I felt all the feelings she wanted me to feel.
I would also like to make an honorable mention to the audiobook, which was so atmospheric I felt like I was sitting around a campfire. There are a few Norse words used in the story, and listening to the narrator really brought the story to life.
I haven't read too many Little Mermaid retellings. The one I can think of off the top of my head is To Kill a Kingdom, which to me felt flat and lackluster. Nonetheless I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the Little Mermaid, if other retellings have not been giving you what you wanted, this might.
Spoiler Section:
I honestly didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did. I went into it expecting the story to entertain me, and honestly I was thinking it would be more of an average read. Boy oh boy, was I wrong. I’ve had a bit of a lackluster experience with Little Mermaid retellings (I’m looking a t you, To Kill a Kingdom) but Marissa Meyer’s Heartless woke in me the interest for these villain origin stories.
Sea Witch was a remix of the story that I wasn’t expecting. Just like in Heartless, the story takes on this run against the clock as you know where the character will end up. Evie was the type of character that I wanted to succeed. The relationships in the story were amazing. Evie and Nik’s relationship felt genuine and wholehearted. The romance with Iker was believable and I wanted it to succeed despite the class difference. And Evie’s relationship with Annemette was complicated and guilt-ridden and I was eating all of it.
Evie’s guilt over having caused her best friend’s death is a major driving factor of the story, especially when a mermaid who looks like Anna appears and Evie decides to help her win Nik’s heart. The mystery of where this mermaid came from and how everyone will step into their final role kept me hooked while listening to the story. I was ready to just consume the story passively, but I found myself rewinding the audiobook multiple times, not believing what I was hearing.
Going into spoiler territory, the first 80% of the story I thought I knew where the plot was going. I wanted Evie and Iker to end up together, but I thought that for the sake of tragedy in the plot Nik wouldn’t fall in love with Annemette, maybe Iker would die, and either the power of friendship would save Evie and Annemette or Evie would lose everyone and end up becoming the Sea Witch. Boy, oh, boy, oh boy, was I wrong. So, so, so wrong. I didn’t think much of the flashbacks into Evie and Anna’s childhood, but once the flashbacks catch up with Anna’s drowning I stopped playing Animal Crossing and sat there listening. I kind of liked the ambiguity of not knowing if Annemette was Anna or not. If they only looked alike. Confirming that they are one and the same only made me wish for that “power of girl friendship” to succeed. I thought maybe the romance would take second place and the friendship between these two girls would prove to be the kind of love they needed to save each other, a la Aquamarine, you know?
Now when I tell you I gasped once I realized Annemette was evil, I gasped. I felt betrayed, I knew Evie would feel betrayed, and I felt more betrayed. Going back into the present when Anna is pretending to be good and naïve, I wanted to yell and the only reason I didn’t was because it was 2am and I was going to get yelled at by my mom. Seeing how the story was unfolded got me awestricken. I liked the whole Nik and Evie thing, though I thought I was finally witnessing a boy-girl friendship that wasn’t romantic, I felt kind of disappointed that the relationship did end up in romance, but it was believable and it seemed plausible, so that’s that. Iker’s change was a bit more hard to believe, he seemed like more of the reckless type so his sudden loyalty to the kingdom’s tradition seemed weird, but I guess that had more to do with the change in love interest for Evie.
The ending and the epilogue really got to me. Seeing Evie living the consequences of the story made me feel for her, I was sad to hear her tell of everyone’s lives while she was stuck in her new existence. Personally, I think this works great as a standalone. Because of this, I do not know how to feel about the fact that there is a sequel. I do not know much about the sequel, no idea what it might be about, but I really hope it does not undo the feeling of completion that this book has. I will probably read it, or at least look at the blurb to this if it’s worth reading.
demilee1369's review
3.0
This is a very hard book to review cause even though the book was rather amazing in aspect it wasn't enough to get it past the three stars. I will admit it does put a new prospective on Ursula and how she came to be. The character building and interaction in this book was awesome but it lacks a lot in plot line. I would recommend this book for others to read but only those who are committed to finish a book once they start cause this is a very slow paced book